The present invention relates to compositions for forming protective coatings. In particular, the present invention relates to compositions for forming abrasion-resistant coatings with electrocoating processes.
Coatings are typically applied to substrates to provide protective and/or decorative qualities. One effective technique for applying coatings includes an electrocoating process, which typically involves depositing a composition onto an electrically conductive substrate with an applied electrical potential. Early attempts at commercial electrocoating processes used anionic electrocoating processes, where the substrate being coated served as the anode. However, cathodic or cationic electrocoating processes have become increasingly popular, and today, are the most prevalent methods of electrocoating.
One desired property of coatings, whether they be applied for a decorative or a protective function, is abrasion resistance. This is particularly important for coating compositions applied to surfaces that are subjected to abrasive contacts with other objects, such as flooring, shelving, and the like. The use of coatings exhibiting good abrasion resistance on such surfaces prolongs both the appearance and the functionality of the coating compositions. Customers typically require that the coatings be able to withstand substantial levels of abrasion (e.g., at least about 350 cycles of Taber abrasion) before the underlying substrate is exposed. To attain such levels of protection, typical protective coatings formed by electrocoating processes have thick films. However, thick films may substantially increase material costs. Accordingly, there is need for an electrocoating composition that exhibits good abrasion resistance, thereby allowing coatings to be formed with low film thicknesses.